While in New York, the First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Herashchenko participated in a series of meetings with the Ukrainian community leaders, representatives of the US Crimean Tatars organizations, and paid a visit to the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, as part of the official delegation of Ukraine headed by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko

During her working visit to the USA to participate in the 72th session of  the United Nations General Assembly, the First Vice-Speaker Iryna Herashchenko together with the First Lady of Ukraine Maryna Poroshenko and the Presidential envoy for the Crimean Tatar people affairs, as part of the official Ukrainian delegation, headed by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, paid a visit to the Ukrainian Museum in New York City, where they had a meeting with the leaders of the US Ukrainian community and the representatives of the US Crimean Tatars organizations.

In his speech to the local Ukrainians, the President of Ukraine assured them that Ukraine would keep on implementing European standards into the country’s life, and also expressed his gratitude to the Ukrainian diaspora representatives for their support and assistance. The meeting parties had discussions over the progress in the basic reforms in Ukraine, and in the realm of defence, education, judicial proceedings, in particular. Special concern was given at the meeting to the repeated human rights violations by the occupation force in the Crimea. It was informed about the illegally sentenced Ahtem Chiigoz, and stressed upon the need in pooling efforts over liberation of the Ukrainians seized in the occupied Crimea, certain regions of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and Russia illegally.

The Presidential envoy on peaceful settlement of the Donetsk-Luhansk clash Iryna Herashchenko and the Presidential envoy for the Crimean Tatar people affairs Mustafa Dzhemilev had a broad debate with the US Ukrainian diaspora representatives over the above illegal prisoners and the human rights protection on the whole.

In the meeting with the US Ukrainian community and the local Crimean Tatar representatives, the Head of the State reminded of the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor, having stressed the importance of its recognition as genocide internationally. He also stated it would be one of the key points he’d touch in his UN speech.

Within the framework of the visit, the Ukraine’s delegation has been to the blue-chip West Point Military Academy in West Point, NY, which is home to 4440 cadets, with the 25% female share.

In his message to the academic audience the President of Ukraine underscored that the USA remained a reliable partner to Ukraine, and thanked for the steady material support and humanitarian aid the US was rendering to Ukraine. The meeting parties also discussed future efforts aimed at enhancement of the Ukrainian-American cooperation in the sphere of defence, including joint war games and trainings. While talking to the cadets of the Academy, President Poroshenko gave them a brief overview of the Donbas security state of affairs, and answered the questions about the hybrid warfare waged by the Russian Federation.

The Presidential envoy on peaceful settlement of the Donetsk-Luhansk clash Iryna Herashchenko and the Presidential envoy for the Crimean Tatar people affairs Mustafa Dzhemilev together with the other Ukrainian delegates took a lookout walk around the West Point Academy to see how it works, and then met with the Academy’s administrative staff.

The Ukrainian delegation had also a task meeting with some international investing companies. In the course of the meeting, the President of Ukraine greeted the investors on having finally underwritten $3bn Ukraine’s sovereign debt papers, and thanked them for the confidence.

Nota bene. Ukraine is rated B- by S&P and Fitch and Caa2 by Moody’s. BNP Paribas, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs are acting as book-runners on the deal. Rothschild is acting as financial adviser to the Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance.
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